Stop paying the dental placement agency. This is how to earn more.

If you’re working through a dental staffing agency, chances are you’re not making as much money as you could. The service may be helping you find jobs, but those jobs don’t pay what you’re really worth. While you’re not paying the placement agency directly, the agency’s fees do ultimately come out of your pocket.

Here’s how that happens and what you can do about it.

Still working for a placement agency? You could be earning more.

Temp agencies are known for assisting dental operators in finding help. They’re also known for assisting dental professionals in finding work. They pair practices with the dental auxiliary staff they need. The dentist supporters they serve include dental hygienists, dental assistants, dental nurses, dental therapists and alveolar consultants. But agencies don’t make placements for free. All agencies charge fees to the dental practices they serve.

That’s money that could otherwise be in your pocket. You see, when a dental practice owner makes a budget for staffing, there’s a certain amount they can spend on temporary or temp-to-hire workers. When you’re hired through a dental temp agency, a portion of the budget that pays for your services goes to the agency. That leaves less for you.

Dental hygiene placement agencies also charge permanent hire fees. Since these fees are also part of the staffing budget, that’s even less money available for you. Permanent hire fees might also serve as a deterrent, keeping a practice from hiring you for a permanent position. If you’re in the market for a steady full- or part-time job, these fees can be a huge problem.

Dental temp agencies don’t pay competitive wages.

When you work with a dental assistant temp agency or a dental hygiene placement agency, you aren’t earning as much as you could. This is especially true if you have specialized expertise or a lot of experience, but it still applies if you’re new to dental hygiene or dental assisting.

Dental temp agencies decide how much you will be paid. When all of the power is in the agency’s hands, your pay may not be determined by the local market. Instead, your pay is decided by an employee of the agency.

Your dental assisting and dental hygiene expertise counts for less than it should.

Temp agencies tend to keep all of their employees at or around the same rate. While they may make minor adjustments for experience and expertise, their scales don’t always match those of the current market.

If you’re particularly versed in a specialized area that’s in demand, you’ll likely make the same rate as someone who has no particular expertise. Dental staffing agencies often don’t have the time or resources to consider skills and experience when assigning jobs. That translates to uniform rates for every dental assistant and for every dental hygienist. Professionals with expertise in a particular, in-demand field could be making a lot more by not working with an agency.

Fortunately, there is a solution—a cloud-based helper to boost your career.

If you’re a dental professional who’s working for a temp agency, you’re probably wondering how you can increase your wages. The answer is to work for yourself instead of for a staffing agency. As a dental professional, you can manage your own placements. This removes the caps that agencies place on your salary and career advancement.

Ditching the temp agency is probably simpler than you think. The answer lies in cloud-based technology. Dental staffing trends are moving away from temp agencies and toward cloud-based staffing solutions. This is great news for dental professionals who want to control their own rates, schedules and work locations.

Earn professional wages.

When dental practices aren’t paying exorbitant fees, they’re willing and able to pay fair, professional rates.

What is fair and professional? Ultimately, that’s determined by supply and demand. Rates for dental assistants, dental hygienists and other dental professionals vary from place to place. The amount dental practices are willing and able to pay is a huge factor. So is the amount dental professionals are willing and able to accept. When you cut out the middleman and let rates match the market, both dental practices and dental professionals benefit. Cloud Dentistry lets professionals set their own rates, and practices are willing to pay competitive wages.

Build your own brand and take charge.

When you create a free profile on Cloud Dentistry, you gain control of your career. Not only can you set your own rates, you can advertise your services and build your brand online. That means that if you have a particular interest, specialty or skill that makes you more marketable, that can translate into higher earnings and better work environments for you. Excellent performance can bring you higher earnings, too, because reviews of your work help you advertise your business.

It’s time to stop working for the dental placement agency and start working for yourself.

As a dental professional, you’re an educated, skilled worker who is an asset to any practice you work for. It’s time you were paid like it. Although they won’t say it, the placement agency puts a cap on your earnings by dictating your rates and charging high fees.

When you work for yourself, you remove that cap. You may not be paying an agency’s fees directly, but ultimately, you do pay to work for that agency. Fortunately, the way out is in your hands.